GREENCASTLE — In hindsight, the 2012-13 season will likely be remembered as the beginning of a new era of girls' varsity basketball in Greencastle-Antrim.

Coming off their first postseason appearance since 1998, the Blue Devils entered the year needing to overcome the loss of four starters while replenishing the roster without a single senior.

The end result was a youthful squad forced to grow up on the fly, falling victim to a midseason slide before recovering to win five of its final seven games to finish 11-11 overall.

Considering the circumstances, completing the campaign at .500 was a feat in itself, with only two returning players having any prior experience at the varsity level. Despite being on the outside looking in come playoff time, the Blue Devils clearly took an impressive first step toward sustainable success in the future.

"All good teams must put in the time," G-A head coach Mike Rhine said following his second season at the helm. "We didn't really know what we were going to have with such a young roster. To win 11 games, I'd definitely say we are ahead of where most thought we would be."

Entering the year as the lone returning starter, Chloe Hoover assumed her leadership role in stride. Hoover led the team averaging 13.8 points per game, with the junior recording double figures in 17 of G-A's 22 contests.

On four occasions, Hoover eclipsed the 20-point mark, including a career high 28 against Waynesboro on Jan. 11.

"Chloe is the best captain any coach could ask for," Rhine explained. "She's a fantastic basketball player, leads by example and translated things to her teammates in a manner that they understood. I'm very fortunate to have her back next year."

Joining Hoover as the only other player with any prior varsity time, Katie Gelsinger emerged as a well-rounded talent in the paint. Only a sophomore, Gelsinger averaged 12.4 points per game, highlighted by her 26-point performance against James Buchanan on Jan. 29.

By all indications, the Blue Devils found a solidified inside presence for the foreseeable future.

"When I took the job, I knew Katie was going to be a nice post player, but I don't think I ever realized how athletic she was until this year," Rhine said. "She's faster than most post players and her versatility is something we are planning to utilize moving forward. She has the capability to be an unbelievable talent around the basket."

While Hoover and Gelsinger certainly shouldered their share of the workload, it was G-A's collection of fresh faces that truly allowed the Blue Devils to downplay the inevitable learning curve.

Taking the floor for the first time at the varsity level, the trio of Hannah Crist, Jane Herman and Meghan Hirneisen turned early concerns into promising contributions, each playing well beyond their years throughout the campaign.

Crist and Hirneisen made significant impacts immediately as freshmen, acting as a formidable guard duo around the perimeter.

"Hannah is a natural basketball player," Rhine said of his freshman point guard, who ended third on the team averaging 8.9 PPG. "She's fast, athletic and has some height. Her and Meghan are going to pose defensive problems for opponents throughout their careers. They both have superior skill sets at their age and the sky's the limit with those two."

Herman added another element to G-A's capabilities from beyond the arc, with the sophomore frequently knocking down big shots at key moments.

"Jane was our most-improved player," Rhine said. "She was a big difference maker and was devastating for us defensively. She's the kind of athlete that you want on your team."

The presence of Ashlynn Schaeffer complemented the Blue Devils' perimeter game, serving as a physical force on both ends, something Rhine feels was vital to G-A's success.

"Ashlynn offers things that other girls can't," Rhine said. "She brings a toughness to our team that makes opponents uneasy. That's something we benefited from and something we need going forward."

Assuming all of this year's players are eligible to return next season, paired with a highly-talented incoming class from the middle school level, G-A has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about what the future may hold.

"Our kids are continuing to grow, continuing to get stronger and we are going to have the depth to play the way we want to play next year," Rhine said. "We've got speed, we've got some size and I know we have the talent.

I'm really lucky to have fallen into a situation that is this promising. This is an unbelievably special group of girls and I'm just extremely excited for what's to come."

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